Parish of Blessed Carlo Acutis
  • Home
    • YouTube Channel
    • GDPR Privacy Policy
    • Whistle-Blowing Policy
  • Parish News
  • Online Mass & Activities
  • Synod 2021-23
  • Churches
    • SS Peter & Paul >
      • SSPP History
      • SSPP Past Events
      • SSPP Gallery
    • Saint Michael >
      • SM History
    • Saint Bernadette >
      • SB History
  • Blessed Carlo Acutis
  • University Chaplaincy
  • Carmelite Monastery
  • Marriage Support
  • Baptism
  • Pastoral Council
  • Youth
    • EDGE >
      • EDGE Gallery
  • SVP
  • Parish Schools
    • Saint Edmund's Catholic Academy
    • SS Peter and Paul Catholic Academy & Nursery
    • Saint Michael's Catholic Primary Academy and Nursery
    • Saint Bernadette's Catholic Primary School
  • Talk To Someone
  • Cybercrime Advice
  • Facebook
  • Year of the Word
  • Links
    • Archdiocese of Birmingham
    • Bishops Conference of England & Wales >
      • CBCEW News
      • Catholic Understanding of Death
    • Catholic News >
      • Catholic Herald
      • Catholic Voices
      • EWTN Global Network >
        • EWTN Online Radio GB/EIRE
      • Vatican News
    • Holy See >
      • Vatican City State
      • Mission to the UN
    • Kenelm Youth Trust
    • Jobs >
      • Education Service
      • Diocesan Vacancies

Parish News and Events

The Latest Updates...

Bishops' Conference Statement on the 'National Lockdown' in England

1/11/2020

 
The Prime Minister has announced further widespread restrictions in England beginning on Thursday 5 November.  The Government have published their New National Restrictions Guidance on their website. Whilst there was no formal announcement on Places of Worship by the Prime Minister, there is clear guidance on this website that places of worship will be required to end all acts of collective worship, except for funeral ceremonies. In response the following statement is issued by the President and Vice-President of the Bishops’ Conference.

"The announcement of a new ‘national lockdown’ in England will, we know, bring hardship, distress and suffering to many.  We must hope and pray that this is an effective strategy against a growing pandemic which has tragically taken so many lives already and threatens so many more.

Faith communities have played a vital role in sustaining personal, spiritual and mental health and encouraging vital charitable activities, which support hundreds of thousands of people in all sections of the community, especially the most vulnerable. That critical service towards the common good of all is created and sustained by communal worship and prayer. Part of this selfless giving has been a strong ethic of responsibility in the way in which we have reopened our churches so that essential worship has been enabled. Our communities have done a great deal to make our churches safe places in which all have been able to gather in supervised and disciplined ways.

It is thus a source of deep anguish now that the Government is requiring, once again, the cessation of public communal worship. Whilst we understand the many difficult decisions facing the Government, we have not yet seen any evidence whatsoever that would make the banning of communal worship, with all its human costs, a productive part of combatting the virus. We ask the Government to produce this evidence that justifies the cessation of acts of public worship.

To counter the virus we will, as a society, need to make sustained sacrifices for months to come. In requiring this sacrifice, the Government has a profound responsibility to show why it has taken particular decisions. Not doing so risks eroding the unity we need as we enter a most difficult period for our country.

The Prime Minister has stated that the draft legislation will be placed before Parliament on Monday 2 November. Members of Parliament will have the opportunity to discuss the issues and vote on the proposed national restrictions. In this short timeframe, questions can be raised with our elected Members of Parliament regarding the cessation of public common worship. They are in a position to require the Government to publish the data that drives the decision to cease public worship under these restrictions."
​
Cardinal Vincent Nichols
President Archbishop

Malcolm McMahon OP
Vice-President

The Archbishop of Birmingham has asked, if we are able to do so, that we consider emailing our MPs. If you attend Mass at SS Peter and Paul or St Michael, the MP to contact is Stuart Anderson (stuart.anderson.mp@parliament.uk​). For St Bernadette, please contact Gavin Williamson (gavin.williamson.mp@parliament.uk)

Comments are closed.

    Information

    This page page displays the latest announcements. For regular weekly news, please ensure you also read the Parish Bulletin, which is available on the Home page. For previous versions of the Bulletin, click here.

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All
    Bishops' Conference
    Coronavirus
    Finance
    Online Services
    Parish Life
    Pope
    Prayer
    Youth

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
    • YouTube Channel
    • GDPR Privacy Policy
    • Whistle-Blowing Policy
  • Parish News
  • Online Mass & Activities
  • Synod 2021-23
  • Churches
    • SS Peter & Paul >
      • SSPP History
      • SSPP Past Events
      • SSPP Gallery
    • Saint Michael >
      • SM History
    • Saint Bernadette >
      • SB History
  • Blessed Carlo Acutis
  • University Chaplaincy
  • Carmelite Monastery
  • Marriage Support
  • Baptism
  • Pastoral Council
  • Youth
    • EDGE >
      • EDGE Gallery
  • SVP
  • Parish Schools
    • Saint Edmund's Catholic Academy
    • SS Peter and Paul Catholic Academy & Nursery
    • Saint Michael's Catholic Primary Academy and Nursery
    • Saint Bernadette's Catholic Primary School
  • Talk To Someone
  • Cybercrime Advice
  • Facebook
  • Year of the Word
  • Links
    • Archdiocese of Birmingham
    • Bishops Conference of England & Wales >
      • CBCEW News
      • Catholic Understanding of Death
    • Catholic News >
      • Catholic Herald
      • Catholic Voices
      • EWTN Global Network >
        • EWTN Online Radio GB/EIRE
      • Vatican News
    • Holy See >
      • Vatican City State
      • Mission to the UN
    • Kenelm Youth Trust
    • Jobs >
      • Education Service
      • Diocesan Vacancies